Mr. Speaker, the government is axing the Language Technologies Research Centre in the Outaouais.

The Minister of State for Science and Technology claims that the decision to relocate National Research Council researchers to Ottawa was a matter of responsible management. However, an internal review shows that 25% of the premises leased by the NRC at the Université du Québec en Outaouais were not used.

Will the government make a responsible decision to ensure that the NRC maintains a presence in the Outaouais?

Christian ParadisConservativeMinister of Industry and Minister of State (Agriculture)

Mr. Speaker, the responsible thing to do is to ensure resources are used efficiently.

Canadian taxpayers have given us a mandate to ensure we get value for money. That is why we have undertaken to reform the NRC under the leadership of my colleague, the Minister of State for Science and Technology, so that we can provide better services with greater efficiency.

Mr. Speaker, to the contrary, the Interactive Language Technologies Group at the University of Québec in Outaouais is simply another casualty in the Conservative's irresponsible cuts to science and technology. After gutting the Translation Bureau, the Conservatives are now eliminating support to small businesses that need language tools on the Internet, yet another Conservative attack on ensuring that the country thrives in both official languages.

Why is the government taking away the resources that Canadian companies need to be competitive in a growing global market? Will the government allow NRC scientists to stay in Outaouais?

Christian ParadisConservativeMinister of Industry and Minister of State (Agriculture)

Mr. Speaker, it is the contrary. I urge my colleague to stop fear-mongering.

We want to continue to give good services to Canadian taxpayers but more efficiently. This is why we are reforming the National Research Council under the leadership of my colleague, the Minister of State for Science and Technology. It is to make sure that we continue to provide good services to Canadians with more efficiency.

Mr. Speaker, a delegation of six CUPW big union bosses departed for the World Social Forum Free Palestine conference. Where? Rio de Janeiro. Using what? Public funds. This radical political conference is dedicated to the destruction of Israel as a Jewish homeland and promotes Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine.

We know union transparency is needed. Could the minister explain to the House what the government's actions need to be to get the public funds that the union took back to Canadian taxpayers.

Mr. Speaker, I find it disturbing that the NDP big union bosses would think that this kind of expenditure is acceptable, using public funds to go to Rio.

When I became aware of the situation, I immediately ordered Canada Post to recover and stop payment of any public funds used by the big NDP bosses to attend this radical political conference. Canada Post has assured me that it acted immediately and that no money has been used from the public purse.

Mr. Speaker, the aerospace industry is very important to the province of Manitoba. It is looking for leadership from the Government of Canada. Air Canada had a legal obligation to maintain an overhaul base and it has decided not to, thereby causing Manitoba to lose hundreds of valuable aerospace jobs.

Why is the Prime Minister letting down Manitobans and not taking Air Canada to court, as the province of Quebec and the province of Manitoba have already chosen to do? Why not the Government of Canada?

Mr. Speaker, in fact, the government has provided tremendous support to the aerospace industry in Manitoba. We have, through our various programs, provided tens of millions of dollars to companies like StandardAero, Magellan and Boeing, all in the Winnipeg area. However, we have also done the same throughout the country because aerospace is a big part of our economy and it is just about to take off.

Mr. Speaker, the consequences of the Conservatives' reckless decision to cut health care for refugee claimants not only leaves the most vulnerable behind, but downloads the costs onto provinces and communities across the country.

In Scarborough many refugee claimants rely on a volunteer clinic run by the Muslim Welfare Centre for care, but the clinic has become overwhelmed since the changes came into effect.

Why does the minister believe that volunteer run community clinics, like this one, should pay for his misguided decision?

Mr. Speaker, there has been no reduction in health insurance for medically necessary physician and hospital services through the IFHP for refugee claimants. What the member is talking about is a different category of people. She is talking about rejected asylum claimants, people who by definition are not refugees. These are people who, according to our fair and generous legal system, do not have a well-founded fear of persecution, people who no longer have a right to be in Canada and who are delaying their removal from the country. Taxpayers have no obligation to provide them with health insurance any more than they do to illegal immigrants.

Mr. Speaker, Canadians are generous and welcoming, but they have no tolerance for those who abuse their generosity.

Last year, Canada received more asylum claims from the liberal democracy of the European Union than Africa or Asia. It became clear that Canada's asylum system was not working. That is why our Conservative government introduced Protecting Canada's Immigration System Act to make Canada's system faster and fairer.

Could the hard-working Minister of Immigration please update the House on the progress being made to implement Canada's new and improved asylum system?

Mr. Speaker, I was pleased to announce this morning that Canada's new balanced fast and fair asylum system would come into effect on December 15. This is the result of legislation adopted by Parliament.

We will go from what used to be almost two year wait times for bona fide refugees to get protection to two months. We will go from being able to remove bogus asylum claimants that used to take us several years to now being able to do it in a few months. This will save taxpayers $1.6 billion over five years and will allow us to focus on providing protection to real refugees, those who need the help.

Mr. Speaker, the disability tax credit was created to recognize some of the additional costs incurred by persons with disabilities. However, a number of people with disabilities are not eligible for income security programs that would allow them to have a decent income, to save for the future and to reduce their stress level.

Instead of using this tax credit as a prerequisite for disability programs, why do the Conservatives not propose a plan that would guarantee income security for all persons with disabilities?

Shelly GloverConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance

Mr. Speaker, I find it somewhat odd that the member would actually ask a question about the RDSP because it is her party that voted against the creation of it.

Let me remind the member that not only have we made a number of significant changes to the RDSP program, but in this coming budget implementation act, which we are hopeful she will support this time, we have expanded the eligibility for people who use RDSPs. It is an important measure. There are other measures in the BIA, too, and I know she is aware of them. Let us get the NDP on board to vote for it.

Mr. Speaker, despite the Government of Quebec's formal opposition and a unanimous motion in the National Assembly, Ottawa will be announcing several billion dollars in funding for the Lower Churchill hydroelectric project with great fanfare this afternoon. The federal government will be using Quebeckers' tax dollars to fund a project whose purpose is to compete with Hydro-Québec, yet Quebeckers had to pay for their power generation network themselves.

How can the government justify this unfair and inequitable funding that is against the economic interests of the Quebec nation and constitutes nothing less than unfair competition for Hydro-Québec?

David AndersonConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Natural Resources and for the Canadian Wheat Board

Mr. Speaker, we will support new clean energy projects that are of national and regional importance. During the last election campaign, our government committed to the Muskrat Falls projects. That same day, our government committed to sorting out sales tax harmonization with Quebec.

Mr. Speaker, I am really relieved the Prime Minister has not yet ratified the Canada-China investment treaty. There is new information that is really important for Conservative members of Parliament to consider. A new European report blows a hole through the idea that the arbitration is impartial and unbiased. In fact, there is an elite group of international lawyers, who are making millions out of being global ambulance chasers. They seek the cases, talk governments into entering into FIPAs and reap the rewards of $1,000 an hour as they serve on these cases.

I urge those members to look at the inherent unfairness of arbitration.

Tony ClementConservativePresident of the Treasury Board and Minister for the Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario

Mr. Speaker, I remind the hon. leader of the Green Party that, as we know in this place, this whole treaty is about protecting Canadians who are investing in China, to give them the same rights and protections that Chinese investors and other foreign national investors already have under Canadian law. I cannot imagine the hon. leader of the Green Party would not want that to happen.

Perhaps the hon. member for Prince George—Peace River would like to apologize to the member for Saint-Jean for some of the auditory abuse that was going on during question period, which I think prompted the exchange.

The member sits in a unique position in the House and when members of the opposition ask questions, I think he has an extra responsibility to follow the rules of decorum.

Deepak ObhraiConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs

Mr. Speaker, yesterday in question period, the member for Scarborough—Agincourt rose in the House and said that he “twice I wrote to the Minister of Foreign Affairs requesting that he contact the Egyptians with respect to the false accusations that my constituent”. He went on to say, “The minister ignored my letters”.

For the record, I have a copy of the letter the minister wrote to him here. Not only the letter the minister wrote, but also the letter from the staff of the minister who wrote to the member.

Therefore, what the member said was not factual, and I would like that member to apologize to the minister for giving a false report. As well, with permission, I would seek unanimous consent to table this letter to show what the letter said.